Schools cancelled, flights delayed by messy winter weather

MONTREAL—Snow, rain and slush battering Quebec on Friday during one of the busiest travelling days of the year, leaving more than 25 flights cancelled at Montreal-area airports and dozens of schools closed.

The source of the problem for stranded passengers at Pierre-Elliott-Trudeau International Airport wasn’t the mix of rain and snow that hit Montreal, but a winter storm that caused huge delays at airports in New York, New Jersey and Chicago.

The Commission scolaire de la Seigneurie-des-Mille-Iles cancelled all classes on Friday and transportation was also suspended. Daycare centres and the administration centres remained open.

North Star Academy in Laval also cancelled classes for the day, along with all schools in the Commission scolaire des Affluents.

CEGEP St. Jerome and Collegial Mont-Laurier cancelled all classes.

Precipitation, winds blast province

Heavy snows were predicted for the province Friday and Saturday, with the most abundant accumulations hitting the areas north of the St-Lawrence River.

In Quebec City, accumulations of snow and sleet up to 20 centimetres were expected Friday, with a winter storm warning issued by Environment Canada for the region.

The Eastern Townships were expected to receive a mix of snow and freezing rain in the morning with accumulations of two to four centimeters and wind gusts of 60 km/h. Snow was predicted for Saturday.

A winter storm warning was also in effect in the Laurentians, which was predicted to be hit with up to 30 centimeters of snow mixed with sleet. In the Lanaudière region, 20 centimeters of snow and sleet were predicted.